The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail: Act 2

Examples of irony are everywhere in the book. To name a few, I think that Waldo is quite ironic. He always says he is going to do something, but he never does do it. He doesn't stick to his word and is a hypocrite. Also, I thought it was ironic when Ellen wouldn't take Henry or John alone, but she would take them both. This is ironic because you wouldn't think that this would happen in regular society.

The three most important characters in my opinion would be Henry, Sam, and Waldo. I would cast Robert De Niro as Waldo because he has the acting experience and  I would cast Jim Carrey as Sam because his personality reminds me of Sam a lot. And I would cast Chris Lowell as Henry because I think that he could pull of Henry's transcendentalism view point. I picked these actors based on what I saw occurring in the book for each character. Waldo was sort of like a grandpa to Henry. They both had a respect for each other. De Niro also fits the image that I have of Waldo. Carrey would be a good Sam because I can see Sam looking how Jim Carrey does, and also how he could interact with Harrelson. I think that Lowell would make a good Henry because of how he interacts with the other characters/actors.

I don't think that Henry's protest is successful in the end because he gets let out of jail without proving his point. The whole reason he was in jail in the first place was because he refused to pay his taxes, which were going towards a cause that he didn't believe was right. If he had been successful, then the outcome of the story would be very different.

The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail: Act 1

“Don’t remember what I’m saying. Remember what I’m talking about.”

Agreeing with Henry David, remember what someone is saying is different than remembering what they are talking about. If you just remember what they say, you may not have a full understanding of what they are talking about. But if you remember what someone is talking about, you have a complete understanding of what is being said. So thinking about what someone is talking about rather than what they’re saying will be more beneficial for educational purposes.

A Perfect Day for Bananafish

When I read "A Perfect Day for Bananafish", the first character that I was looking for was someone that compared to Holden. The young man, who I think is Seymour, is the one who is most like Holden. The way he interacts with Sybil reminds me of how he is with Phoebe, and how he saw talked also reminded me of Holden in a way. Muriel also reminds me a little of Holden because she is always complaining, like Holden is. Otherwise, she reminds me a little of Sally, how girly she is and all. Sybil reminds me of Phoebe, seeming to know and care about what her elders are talking about. She has a kind heart, and has knowledge above her age. But a way that she is different from Phoebe, is that when you ask to change the subject she will, unlike Phoebe. She doesn't get sore at you for absurd reasons, nor does she argue with you.

CITR Chapters 7-12

1. If I were Holden and had just gotten kicked out of school, I would probably go to a friends house or travel to a place that I had been wanting to go to. I don't think that I would want to go home, agreeing with the thoughts of Holden on this. I would go to a friend's house because it would be like starting vacation early instead of getting kicked out of school. Or I would go to a place I had been wanting to go to for a while, like NYC, because it would get my mind off why I wasn't in school, and all that other stuff.

2. I think that what the end of chapter 12 says is true. Especially when you're reading a book, and someone else has already read it and they tell you exactly what happens. Same with movies. When you're having fun and someone is just all bummed out about it, that also can ruin it for you. Or when they're not enjoying themselves but you are, and they think that it's all about them. People have definitely ruined things for me before, while I'm reading books or about to watch a movie. And when others are just down all the time, it has ruined it for me also.

3. Right now, Jane's character has just been introduced a little. There hasn't been any present interactions between Jane and Holden yet, so I can't really say how they interact together. But Jane is one of those people who is always fun to be around, likes just hanging out, and also doing random things that are fun. I think the fact that Holden remembers how Jane always kept her kings in the back row was a hint of a possible connection between the two. I have the feeling that Holden cares about Jane, even if he isn't willing to admit it. His thoughts always drift back to her, and he doesn't really mention any other girls, other than ones he "went around with", which leads me to believe that she was someone special.

CITR Chapters 1-6

1. To be unique means to stand out in the crowd. It is a good thing to be unique because everyone else is already taken, so there's no point in trying to be them. I think that in the teenage years, before you really figure out who you are, you try to fit in like everyone else. I'm not saying that this is how everyone is, but I have definitely noticed this, as I have done it too. You're not meant to be like your best friend. If you were, wow, this would be a boring place. In this context, being unique is like Ackley, or Allie. Ackley has a distinct personality that makes him him and Allie had the brightest red hair ever, making him unique from someone with just slightly red hair. They both stand out, and how you react to that is part of who you are. Holden is also a very unique character. He doesn't admire himself all day long and talk about how great he is like Stradlater. He likes to act like a little kid, which is very unusual for a 16 year old, especially since almost all the 16 year-olds that I know act like they're all grown up and everything. On some level, Holden is really independent. I think that while he was talking with Old Spencer, he was considerate of what he had to say, and respected that he was trying to help him, but he didn't want to listen. He is a very smart kid, just not book smart, if you know what I mean.

2. In an adult world,  individuality is kept by being different than everyone else. Doing what you love is the most important part to being a unique individual in an adult world. If you really love something, you'll really excel and be great at it.

3. Allie is similar to my favorite person in many ways. (First off, I wish not to tell my favorite person because I cannot choose between them.) One, my favorite person cares as much as Allie does for other people, as well as being extremely intelligent, funny, and great to be around. This person makes me smile, yet can be serious when necessary. Rereading the page where Allie is mentioned, my favorite person is very athletic, and always there for support.  

Books 18-24: The End!

First of all, I am so happy to have finished the Odyssey! It was a great book, but at some parts, I really hated it. How this story was laid out reminded me of how my novel was laid out. At the very end was when the story began to really start, and then there was a way that it was ended, maybe not the best, but an ending none the less. Looking back, I can see the poetic aspect of it, but while I was reading, it didn't seem like a poem at all.

What I thought about this section was that it was the second best of all the ones we read. There was action when Ulysses, Telemachus, Eumaeus, and someone else (I forgot his name) are fighting against the suitors. But what I didn't like was that it happened so quickly. Other things take a long time to happen and it's such a short amount of time. This takes all night and lasts only a page or two. I didn't like that when Ulysses was talking to his father, that he lied to him. He is already home, why can't he just tell his father what really happened? Now when I think about it, there was a lot of lying during this time and so when people said, 'tell me, and tell me true', they wanted the real truth, not some lie that had been created. I was also thinking about how Minerva was putting thoughts into peoples heads, putting them to sleep, etc. How would you know that what you are doing was really you doing it? If the gods could control you, would it really be your life? Or would it be theirs in a different body? Would you be able to resist some of the things they do to you? Just wondering.

Overall, I think that this was a good read. There were a lot of errors in spelling and punctuation, funny perspective switches, and some things that I found not to make sense. I also found that as I got closer to the end, it was easier to read and to understand. I didn't write as much in the margins as I did in the beginning, not that anyone would really care.

This is my last post for the Odyssey!!! YAY!

Odyssey Books 13-17

I am so happy that Ulysses' story is finally over! To this point, I have found myself rather enjoying this book. What really surprised me was the Ulysses' told another story in book 14, which I was wondering if some of it was made up. How many stories is there going to be? It seems like there is a lot and almost too many to cram in there so close together.

Also, I was wondering why we can't be so generous like Eumaeus is with Ulysses when we have guests. I think that this is because of 9/11 that we can't trust everyone like we used to.

There were some parts that I found to be confusing with switching of perspectives and all.

This whole section that we had to read was basically stories and plotting against the suitors. I wish that something more exciting had happened other than what happened in the stories. 

I found that it was more difficult to post my thoughts as I was reading, because in the paragraph it would be answered. But something that wasn't answered directly in the text was why Ulysses had to keep Penelope in the dark. Was it because she might spread the word to others that weren't supposed to know? Like the suitors? I was also wondering when they are going to take their revenge. It seems like they should do it sooner rather than later for the well-being of the others.

This concludes my post for this week.